Joe Hockey must end his taxpayer-funded Budget advertising campaign today after new revelations the Liberal Government has wasted more than $11 million on TV, radio, online and billboard ads.

Having poured millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money into the advertising campaign selling their flawed and politicised Intergenerational Report, it seems the age of entitlement is over for everyone except Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey.

This is an absurd waste of money – and includes the fee paid to Dr Karl Kruszelnicki to act as the public face of the campaign.

Now Dr Karl says he is so concerned about how flawed this report is he wants nothing to do with it. He feels so strongly about it that he’s promised to give away his entire fee.

Why is taxpayers’ money being wasted on an ad campaign when even the star of the show says it should end?

After breaking the law by delaying its release, the Treasurer blatantly fiddled with the budget figures to hide his own economic ineptitude.

The Intergenerational Report is supposed to be an even-handed look at what lies ahead for Australia. Instead, Joe Hockey has politicised this one from start to finish.

His refusal to submit the glossy PR campaign to the government’s independent advertising monitor or be upfront with Australians about how much it would cost only reinforced the stench of dishonesty around this report.

Australians deserve better than a Treasurer who thinks spin will help us plan for the future.

It’s time Joe Hockey came clean on how much this ad campaign is really costing Australians.

The Government’s dishonesty and incompetence is hurting Australians.

If Labor wins the next election, we will put the Intergenerational Report in the hands of the Parliamentary Budget Office, ensuring that it takes an honest and independent look at the challenges facing the nation.